Clutch



(No Model.) 2 Shee'tsSheet 1.

W. WOMERSLEY.

' GLUTGE.

No. 511,390. I Y Patented De0.-26, 1893.

(No Model.) T 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2.

W. WOMERSL-EY.

CLUTCH Patented 1160. 26, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM \VOMERSLEY, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, ASSIGNOR TO D. H. BURRELL & i 00., OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 51 1,390, dated December 26, 1893. Application filed December 27, 1892. Serial No. 456,314. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WOMERSLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Olu'tches,'of which the following is a specification.

This invention has the object to produce a clutch for driving one machine from another when the driving shaft and the driven shaft run at different speeds, and which when disengaged permits the machines to be actuated independently and which upon again being engaged sets the driven machine in motion only at that point at which both machines run in correct register. For instance, in operating from a printing press an automatic paper feeder, which feeds sheets of paper to the press, it is often the case that the driving shaft of the feeder makes from two to five revolutions, or more, for every revolution of the press shaft from which the feeder is driven, and, when the press has a reciprocating type bed and an impression cylinder, it is usually the case that the impression cylinder makes'two complete revolutions for every complete backward and forward movement of the paper feeder mech anism. It is desirable to rotate the press without operating the feeder for making trial prints in making ready, but when this is done the register between the press and the feeder is disarranged and has to. be restored by the attendant. This requires considerable care and attention unless an automatic device is provided for the purpose. My invention relates to such an automatic device for starting the driven shaft in correct register with the driving shaft.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets :Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic paper feeder and a printing press connected by my registering clutch. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the clutch, on an enlarged scale, showing the parts coupled, the section being taken in line 22, Fig.4. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken in line 33, Fig. hand showing the parts uncoupled. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, are transverse sections in lines 4- 4., 5-5, 6-6, and 7-'7, Fig. 2 respectively. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 showing a modification of my invention.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a printing press having its driving shaft a journaled in bearings a on the main frame.

B represents an automatic paper feederof any suitable construction which feeds sheets of paper successively to the printing press. The paper feeder is provided with a driving shaft 1) having a sprocket wheel b at one end.

0 represents a carrying disk provided with a hub c which is secured to one end of the press shaft.

D represents a sprocket wheel mounted loosely upon the inner contracted portion of the'hub of the carrying disk, and connected with thesprocket wheel of the feeder shaft by a chain belt at. The press sprocket wheel is arranged between the bearing a of the press shaft and a shoulder formed by the contracted portion of carrying disk hub and is thereby held against longitudinal movement thereon.

E represents a clutch pawl arranged be.- tween the sprocket wheel and the carrying disk and pivoted with its rear end to the sprocket wheel, while its free front end is provided with an external shoulder or hook e. 'lhefree end of this pawl is held yieldingly in its innermost position by a spring f which acts upon a rearwardly. projecting tail piece e of the pawl by means of a rod f attached to said tail piece. The spring presses outwardly against a shoulder on the tail piece and abuts against a perforated post f which isjsecured to the sprocket wheel and through which the rod f passes. Any other suitable spring mechanism may, however, be employed.

G represents a star wheel whereby this pawl is automatically moved outward. This star wheel is mounted on an arbor g which is secured to the inner side of the sprocket wheel, parallel with the axis thereof. The star wheel is provided in its periphery with four equidistant concave faces 9 which are adapted to engage, one at a time, against the convex peripheral surface of the hub of the car rying disk.

g is a trip pin arranged on the carrying disk adjacent to its hub, and adapted to engage with one of four radial notches 9 formed in the star wheel between its concave faces, whereby the star wheel is turned, when the carrying disk turns independently of the press sprocket wheel. The star wheel is held against rotation on its arbor during an entire revolution of the carrying disk by one of the concave faces of the star wheel engaging with the convex surface of the hub of the carrying disk. At the end of each revolution of the carrying disk its trip pin engages in one of the radial notches g in the star wheel, and turns the same the distance of one face. The periphery of the carrying disk hub is provided opposite the trip pin with a recess 9 which permits the star wheel to turn when the trip pin engages therewith. In its innermost position the automatic clutch pawl E rests against the hub of the star wheel, whereby the inward movement of this pawl is limited.

It represents two trip lugs formed radially on diametrically opposite sides of the star wheel hub and adapted to engage against the clutch pawl and move the same outwardly. In the position of the parts represented in Fig. 2, neither trip lug is in engagement with the clutch pawl and the latter is in its innermost position. Upon revolving the'star wheel one of its trip lugs moves the pawl outwardly, as represented in Fig. 3.

I represents an outer clutch pawl which is adapted to engage with the inner clutch pawl E and couple the press sprocket wheel to-the carrying disk and press shaft. The outer clutch pawl is, like the inner pawl, arranged between the carrying disk and sprocket wheel and is provided at its rear end with a shoulder or hook 'iwhich is adapted to engage with the shoulder of the inner pawl. The outer pawl is pivoted upon a boss z" arranged upon the inner side of the carrying disk. In the operative or innermost position of the outer pawl its hook is arranged in the path in which the hook of the inner pawl travels, when the latter is moved outwardly, which causes the outer pawl to engage with the inner pawl and so causes the carrying disk to rotate the sprocket wheel.

J represents a guide rod pivoted with one end to a tail piece j formed on the outer pawl outside of its pivot. The rod passes with its opposite end through apostj arranged upon the carrying disk. The hook of the outer pawl is yieldingly held in engagement with the hook of the inner pawl bya spiral spring j surrounding the rod J and bearing with its ends against the post j while its opposite end bears against a collar arranged upon the guide rod. 1

K represents a thumb piece which is secured to the outer pawl and which passes outwardly through an opening is formed in the annular flange k on the periphery of the carrying disk. The rear side of the thumb piece is provided with a shoulder which is adapted to engage with the rear edge of the opening 70' and hold the outer pawl out of engagement with the inner pawl. The shoulder of the thumb piece is held against the rear edge of the opening in by the same spring j by which the outer pawl is swung inwardly, so that this spring performs the double function of holding the outer pawl in or out of engagement with the inner pawl. The slight longitudinal movement necessary to disengage the shoulder of the thumb piece from the rear side of the opening 70, is permitted by elongating the pivotal opening of the pawl.

When the outer pawl is withdrawn and locked in its outermost position by its thumb piece, as shown in Fig. 2, the press sprocket wheel is uncoupled from the carrying disk and remains stationary and the press can be operated without operating the paper feeder. When the press shaft is rotated under these conditions, the trip pin turns the star wheel and the latter moves the inner pawl outward into its operative position during each alternate revolution of the press shaft. The outward movement of the inner pawl is so timed that this movement takes place only when the mechanisms of the press and feeder are in register. When it is desired to connect the paper feeder with the printing press, the outer pawl is released and moved inwardly. If the outer driving pawl is moved inwardly while the inner driven pawl is retracted, the outer pawl will make one idle revolution, but during the next revolution the inner pawl will be moved outwardly into the path of the revolving outer pawl and engage with the same, thereby causing the printing press and paper feeder to work in unison and in proper register with each other. After the hooks of the clutch pawl engage with each other the star wheel remains stationary on its pivot.

By means of this registering clutch the printing press can be rotated independent of the paper feeder for making trial prints, while the press is made ready 7 without disturbing the register of the driving mechanism between them.

When the clutch is in its coupled position and either the printing press or paper feeder is moved backward, the outer pawl yields upon striking the inner pawl, and the star wheel is turned intermittently in a reverse direction and retains the parts in register with each other.

The number of lugs, slots, and concave faces in the star wheel are varied according to the relative speed of the driving and driven shafts of the press and feeder. For instance, if the relative speed of the press and feeder is in the proportion of two to one, two trip lugs are employed on the star wheel as shown in the drawings, or if the proportion is four to one, one trip lugis employed, which causes the inner pawl to be projected only once during every four revolutions of the printing press shaft.

IIO

In the modified construction represented in Fig. 8 the inner or driven pawl is dispensed the pawl engages with said catch lug as represented in Fig. 8, thereby coupling the driving mechanism of the press with that of the feeder.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted thereon, of a coupling pawl rotating with the driving shaft, a coupling device attached to the driving wheel and adapted to be engaged by the coupling pawl, and an intermittently rotatable star wheel, whereby the coupling of these parts is controlled substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted thereon, of a coupling pawl rotating with the driving shaft, a coupling device attached to the driving wheel and adapted to be engaged by the coupling pawl, a star wheel interposed between the pawl and the driving wheel and provided with concave peripheral faces and intermediate notches, and a trip pin rotating with the driving shaft and adapted to enter said notchesand turn the star wheel, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted thereon, of a pawl rotating with the driving shaft and adapted to move toward and from the shaft for coupling the latter with, or uncoupling the same from the driving wheel, and an intermittently rotatable star wheel whereby the coupling and uncoupling of the driving shaft and wheel are controlled, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted there- 0n,"0f"a driving pawl rotating with the driving shaft, a driven pawl attached to the driving wheel, and an intermittently rotatable star wheel which automatically controls the position of the driven pawl, substantially as set forth. 7

5. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted thereon, of a star wheel mounted upon the driving wheel, a pin or projection rotating with the driving shaft and adapted to rotate the star wheel, a driven pawl attached tothe driving wheel and operated by the star wheel, and a driving pawl rotating with the driving shaft and adapted to be engaged with the pawl on the driving wheel, substantially as set forth.

- 6. The combination with the drivingshaft and the driving wheel loosely mounted thereon, of a driving pawl rotating with the driving shaft, a locking device whereby the driving pawl can be held out of its operative position, a driven pawl attached to the driving wheel, and an intermittently rotatable star wheel which controls the position of the driven pawl, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the driving shaft and the driving wheel loosely'mounted thereon, of a carrying disk secured to the driving shaft, a driving pawl pivoted to the carrying disk, a thumb piece secured to the driving pawl and having a locking projection by which it can be engaged with the carrying disk, a driven pawl attached to the driving wheel, and an intermittently rotatable star wheel which controls the position of the driven pawl, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 15th day of December, 1892.

WILLIAM WOMERSLEY. Witnesses:

I. BURRELL,

J. K. SAGUE. 

